Weight Training

For the past several months my friends Stephanie, Tina and Emily and I have been hitting the weights Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. We have a nice core-centric program and I’ve found that a regular resistance training program has greatly improved my overall fitness and physical well-being.

My back has been “bad” for over twelve years now, and I can usually count on at least two episodes a year when I find myself down on the floor paralyzed with pain. In between those episodes I’m perpetually in a state of red alert wherein I’m only one false move away from a week to ten days of intense pain. The most significant affect of resistance training has been to completely stabilize my lower back and though I don’t feel as though I can lift a piano without worry I do feel much sturdier and secure.

The core-centric training has also significantly increased my sense of balance and my agility. My buddy Bill is always jumping on handrails, slack chains and anything else he can tightrope walk. I never joined him because I knew I was hopeless, I mean I couldn’t even stand on one foot. After a few months of serious weight training I can now at least stand on one foot and walk the length of my daughter’s practice balance beam.

In retrospect it seems that for decades I relied on the strength that I’d built up doing high school sports but now that I’m forty four I need to start putting some money back into the bank. If you’re middle aged and just want to be fit, I can’t think of a better start than finding a good weight training program. One good resource seems to be this guy:

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/